Four Directors Appointed to Greenville (S.C.) Economic Development Board

GREENVILLE, S.C. - May 23, 2013 - PRLog -- The Greenville Area Development Corporation (GADC), the county-chartered organization tasked with promoting and enhancing the economic growth of Greenville County, has announced that prominent business leaders Marshall Franklin and Dr. Tom Quantrille have been appointed by Greenville County Council to inaugural three-year terms on the GADC Board.  Concurrently, public relations consultant Mary Ann Pires has been reappointed by County Council to serve a second three-year term on the GADC Board, while S. Hunter Howard, Jr. has been reappointed by Council Chairman Dr. Bob Taylor to serve an additional three-year term.  All terms will begin June 1, 2013.  

“Each of these individuals brings tremendous experience, insight, and achievement in business and related activities to this Board,” said Dr. Bob Taylor, Greenville County Council Chairman and a member of the GADC Board of Directors. “It is our good fortune to have their combined leadership experience coming to bear on the economic development activities and policies that will help to add good paying jobs and increase per capita income and capital investment in Greenville County.”

Marshall Franklin currently serves as Chief Operations Officer for Bob Jones University following a distinguished 24-year career with Ernst & Young, an international accounting and consulting firm, where he served both domestic and international clients from offices in France, England, and the Southeastern United States.  Mr. Franklin holds a B.S. in Professional Accounting from Bob Jones University, and is widely recognized as a strong consensus builder who is keenly aware of international business issues and opportunities, having conducted business in 37 countries. He is a member of the Board of Directors of The Wilds, a Christian camp located in Brevard, N.C.

Dr. Tom Quantrille is President and CEO of Advanced Composite Materials, LLC, a Greer-based specialty materials manufacturer that he joined in 2002.  Previously, Dr. Quantrille was with BBA Group, plc, where he held numerous positions in research and development, sales management, marketing, and business development.  He also worked with The Procter & Gamble Company.  He holds both a B.S. and a Ph.D. in Chemical Engineering from Virginia Tech, is a published author, and holds numerous patents pertaining to advanced materials technologies, including the fields of composites, ceramics, and polymers.  He is active in both educational and workforce development efforts in Greenville County, and serves as Chairman of the Elder Board at Heritage Bible Church.

Mary Ann Pires is President and CEO of The Pires Group, Inc., and has more than 40 years of diversified public relations and strategic communications experience with such Fortune 500 companies as John Hancock, Chevron-Texaco and A.B.B., as well as several national business associations.  Her firm has served numerous companies in the Upstate since relocating here in 2004 in its specialty areas of public relations marketing, strategic philanthropy and emergency communication planning.   On a pro bono basis, The Pires Group has assisted dozens of civic and non-profit organizations across the country and in the Upstate.  Ms. Pires holds a B.A. in Sociology from Nazareth College, and an M.S. in Public Relations from Boston University.   Extensively published and a national speaker in her field, Ms. Pires also serves on the Board of Directors of the Greenville Symphony Association.  She is a member of the Greenville Forum and a past member of the Board of Governors of the Greater Greenville Chamber of Commerce, the Benefactors Advisory Committee of the Greenville County Museum of Art, the Westchester County (NY) Association and the National Board of the Public Relations Society of America.

Hunter Howard offers a distinguished record of business and economic development accomplishments, having served from 1992-2008 as President and CEO of the South Carolina Chamber of Commerce.  Prior to his work with the Chamber, Mr. Howard served as Chairman of the South Carolina Tax Commission from 1986-1992, and as Special Assistant to the Deputy Commissioner of the IRS.   He also served from 1974-1982 as a member of the South Carolina House of Representatives, and is a graduate of the University of South Carolina and a certified public accountant.  Mr. Howard currently serves as Of Counsel advisor to Scott and Company Certified Public Accountants.  He is a member of the South Carolina Association of Certified Public Accountants, and serves on the Board of Directors of Greenville Health System, the Greenville Technical College Foundation, and the South Carolina Higher Education Foundation.

The new directors succeed outgoing directors Chris Riley and Bruce White, each of whom completed terms on the Board. Dr. Taylor expressed appreciation to the outgoing directors for their service on the Board and to the community. “Chris Riley and Bruce White have played significant roles in advancing Greenville’s economic development mission, and for that we are immensely grateful,” said Taylor.